News channels.

Vinod Mehta the only journalist I find balanced and honest has pithily described the recent spat between Sena and ShahRuk .That the Sena is a ageing tiger ,not much muscle ,and it requires but a single man [ not a platoon ] with a brick to scare the daylights out of the mousy cabby's hailing from north , to scamper clutching their dhotis.His advise to Shahruk ,who leashes a torrent of words nonstop ,is to talk less and act more.

One newspaper aptly observed that every news channel at any given point of time carried the same frames of Shahruk khan and his adversaries in the controversy the Senas. That it all got boring and tiring soon .

The English news channels of which I was once fond of,seem to have lost their imagination and are bent upon copying each other and let go off real issues in favour of sensationalism.

Their talk shows are even worse. They invite various hues of opinions but their jaded comperes will obnoxiously cleave in when such person's state their viewpoint and ratchet on to score some brownie points.And this is backed by a studio filled with tutored audiences hissing and clapping on cue.

Every thing is stage managed . Where is the much touted freedom of expression ?All these debates have become boring .Same faces ,same topics and same agendas. These programmes would become spicy if the channels had the spunk to give all panellists a free run . Other wise it appears like holding a placard screaming 'this is our political ,social and religious stand and you are expected to toe the line '.

During the premiership of Indira Ghandhi ,her tejaswin face was plastered all over the T.V day after day . But every one knew that DD was govt controlled . What is ailing these news channels in this era of liberalisation ? It is as desultory as those good ol' days.

News about international happenings and affairs are seldom aired . World view has shrunk to turmoils in the one and only neighbouring country amongst the many', Pakistan'. The catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti was mentioned merely in passing .

There is no longer innovation ,information ,depth,spunk or spice .Yawn !Serials seem more interesting . At least each episode has a new twist !